Spirit Assembly

by Insanity's Jewel

Following the decision of Deku, the trials regarding the death of Shigaraki Tomura eventually lead to a new form of heroes to be created. Heroes that face the most extreme situations and come out saving those that didn't have any hope left. But the question must be asked, if these Heroes are the hope for the hopeless, who gives them that same feeling? SYOC Closed

5. Challenger's Ascension

OP1- Deal with the Devil by TiA

As his pale white hair was roughly yanked upwards, the blue-eyed boy couldn't help but wince in pain. "Daisuke-san, I'm sorry! I just really needed lunch today, I haven't eaten well these past few days…" He took a moment to silence the response of his stomach. "I'll get you triple the normal amount tomorrow!"

Daisuke Mizu had been bullying Hakuryu since they were both in youchien, steadily upgrading from building blocks to food, and in an unsurprising ramp-up, this year's object of desire was money. Emerging from their poorly disguised hiding spots around the corners of walls, Mizu's brainless friends, Ito Kasa and Tsuba Fusagu, quickly grabbed hold of his arms.

"Ito-san, Tsuba-san, you both look well! I hope you are feeling the same!" Hakuryu stated, a chipper smile on his face as Mizu cracked his knuckles without saying a word. He never was one for words, violence seemed to be a cherished language to the trio of brutes.

He never tried to squirm much anymore, it just made the punches hit worse places on his body. If he sat still, it was normally over before he knew it. Clenching his eyes shut as Mizu grew ever closer, he gritted his teeth for impact…

But it never came.

With his eyes snapping open, he witnessed the closest thing to what he could call a miracle.

A dishevelled boy with unkempt black hair slamming his worn purple shoe directly into Mizu's mouth, immediately leaving a stain of blood on the white rubber of the soles and probably leaving the brute's teeth in a more crooked state than they already were in.

Before Kasa and Fusagu could react, they met the same fate of a literal foot in their mouths. Kasa went down easier than his brother, but that was to be expected considering Fusagu was built like a human wall. Before Hakuryu could react, the blond haired skinbag threw a sluggish punch towards the, for lack of better words, crazed spider monkey child.

But just as quickly as the boy dispatched the other two, he did the same to Fusagu. Grabbing hold of the arm that sailed past his head, the newcomer maneuvered his body to flip the brute onto the ground.

His brother always taught him to never underestimate anyone, and this crop-top wearing boy who looked as though he had never heard of a brush was definitely an example of that. The anger bursting at the seams slowly subsided as his face morphed from visible rage to a heartwarming smile.

"Sorry for getting so violent, I couldn't stand by and do nothing! It's a pleasure to meet you, what's your name?" With a hand shot out, Hakuryu was at a loss for words. This was...a first for him. He normally had to seek out "friends" that would...act like anything but within a week.

Cautiously taking the hand, Hakuryu's mouth hung silently open for a few moments. "Takamori Hakuryu. It's...nice to meet you too." Looking over the boy's shoulder, he took a few mental notes. "What...what is your name?"

Almost as if he gained pleasure from that question alone, the smile that split his olive skin was infectious. "My name is…"

---

As the building finally settled down, the veil of darkness was abruptly lifted by spotlights hitting the stage. Kasumi, as expected, was standing in the center of the light. "Welcome back, I hope you all thought about the tough decisions ahead during our short intermission. Allow me to stress the point again." Portals began to open over the open space of the auditorium, which frankly, was an interesting way to use a Quirk for speakers.

"If at any point in time you feel as though it is getting to be too much to handle, during the exam or even during your time at Uchu, we remind you that you can leave." Adjusting the visor of his eyes, a slight grimace could be seen across Kasumi's features. "LAEF Heroes are challenged in new, horrible ways just about every day, and a failure to properly acknowledge your limits with those challenges could result in…"

He paused. Silence filled the building. This didn't seem voluntary, it was as though terror had gripped the man's throat, forcing him to stop talking. His entire body was locked up as he stared into empty space.

"I-Iten-sensei? Are you okay?" A worried cry came from the crowd. A few individuals began to stand up and approach the stage.

But just as quickly as it came, it seemed to leave. Kasumi vigorously shook his head, slowly sighing and cursing under his breath. "I apologize for that. What was I saying…" He began to track his mental steps. "Right. If you don't know your limits in terms of those challenges, unnecessary blood could be spilled. Either a rushed decision resulting in someone's death that wasn't necessarily deserving of death yet, or possibly...your own death."

Letting out a shaky breath, Kasumi nodded to himself. "Allow me to ask you all, how many of you know how much the day to day duties of standard Heroes and LAEF Heroes differ?" When no hands raised, he groaned. "This is not a rhetorical question, it's your opportunity to show off to everyone else remaining how much you know."

A hand slowly raised from the left side of the crowd. Kasumi took a moment to look at the individual's face before their name hit him. "Hatsuka-san, the floor is yours." A small portal appeared in front of Niikura as she stood up.

"There is no difference. LAEF Heroes and regular Heroes do the same things on the day to day basis." Niikura began. As she was about to continue, the portal closed and Kasumi gave a nod.

"Thank you for that, Hatsuka-san!" Kasumi said, ignoring the fact that he interrupted her as he gave a slight smile in her direction. "She is absolutely right. Petty criminals, hostages, and overall what might seem like "low-level villain" cases are still absolutely handled by LAEF Heroes. You do not get to sit idle while waiting for the next Shigaraki to emerge. For now, I shall leave it there. All further explanations will be provided during your time attending Uchu, should you be accepted."

A faint sound of squeaking could be heard echoing through the building, but most of the audience chose to ignore it.

"Now, onto the most important thing today. Your exam, and its criteria. And here to help me explain it is none other than another member of our staff," Turning to gesture towards the back of a stage, the source of the squeaking became clear when an extremely...cartoon-like woman bounced in with her legs morphed into a spring-like shape. "Odoketa Shitae, also known as Animaniac."

Shitae snickered before shaping her hand into a huge horn. "And your wife, you big dummy!" She yelled as she gave Kasumi a kiss that suctioned to his entire left side, toon-like hearts bubbling around her.

Taking a moment to maintain his composure, Kasumi nodded. "Yes, and my wife." This was...not unusual, in fact, this sort of thing happened several times a day. But, he wouldn't have it any other way. "Now! As I was saying!"

"Your big ol' test, you kiddies!" Shitae said, echoing through the building. "This is gonna be your make or break! You want to be a LAEF Hero?! THEN PROVE IT!"

Kasumi stifled laughter from beside her. "As this is the exam specifically for the LAEF Hero course, you can assume that it does have a fairly high focus on combat. However, and as many of you know, we choose a different form of exam each year in order to keep people on their toes. As such, this year…"

"Will be about working with a fellow LAEF Hero to take down a big bad villain!" Shitae finished his sentence. "You all will be paired off and assigned to exam sites where a number of "villains" are running free!"

Stretching her arm upwards, she pulled down the large canvas screen, which was quickly illuminated with diagrams of the exam sites.

"None of these pairs were determined randomly. We here at Uchu graciously paired you all based on how well you synergize and fit together. That said, some of you will be in perfect pairs that play to each other's strengths in every way possible. On the other hand, some of you are in the absolute worst pairs possible, both in terms of personality and Quirk interactions." He paused, eyeing a few pairs that he had personally picked that he knew would suffer together.

Uchu required a personal essay to be sent in along with the written exam that was sent out a few weeks ago. That, along with a background check, allowed for a quick assessment of personalities. For a few though, due to being the children of Uchu alumni, they were already decently well known. "After all, you won't always be working with other Heroes out in the field that work well with you. Especially as LAEF Heroes, if you are working beside standard Heroes, there's a high likelihood of a few having a bit of a "problem" with you."

Holding two fingers behind Kasumi's head jokingly, Shitae nodded beside him. "So, suck it up if you don't like who you are working with!"

In the crowd, it was clear that several students could already tell they were doomed.

'Damn it, I'm going to be stuck with him, aren't I?' Niikura lightly groaned as she could see the glowing purple mop of wavy hair across the crowd, and could see him staring right back at her. Almost like petty children, they both stuck their tongues out at each other.

It was okay though, as long as he didn't get in the way too much, she could deal with his bullshit about the rich and poor. She'd show him just how his fancy bullshit was nothing compared to the work she put into her Quirk.

"Now, don't get all angsty about the fact that we totally chose some of the worst partners for you!" Shitae spoke what was on the mind of many. "There's still a piece of the exam that is way more important than who you are partnered with! The villains you will be facing!"

The screen switched to reveal the faces of several people, although one was far more pompous as it was obviously a picture from a model shoot, with the name, "Tsuihou Fu" clear across his chiseled body.

Pulling her close, Kasumi whispered in Shitae's ear. "Did you really have to use one of those pictures for him?"

"Listen, it was that or him doing a pout. At least that one had him dressed more than-"

"Yeah, yeah, I know, he personally sent me some of his "favorites" from his photoshoots."

Breaking apart, Shitae cleared her throat. "So, playing the role of "villain" in this exam will be several past graduates of Uchu. These are some of the greatest LAEF Heroes that have been produced from this wonderful house of chaos!" Disregarding the fact that Uchu was the only place that LAEF Heroes could be produced from, she kept on. "That being said, they have been given the order to fight you as if they were villains, just...not kill you. But they are allowed to get damn close!"

"To be clear, we don't expect any of you to get anywhere near defeating any of these individuals. However, allow me to explain how our judging will work." Kasumi interjected. "There is no clear way to pass this exam, to put it simply. Instead, many of you will be faced with the decision of fight or flight. Some of you may be fighting to stall and show how you perform, others of you may be fighting to simply survive. As I said, this is a primarily combat and skill based exam. Your performance in facing these adversaries will be your way to show us your base capabilities with facing or simply handling a dangerous adversary."

Switching off fluidly, it was easy to see how well the two teachers worked together. "That being said, you could always run and hide away the entire time like a bunch of scaredy cats! But that isn't going to show us anything about what you can do, and you will undoubtedly be turned away for it!"

"Now, if you all need a reminder, you will be in pairs for this. In order to prevent you from just leaving a partner you are unsatisfied with, we will be monitoring every pair. Should a pair willingly split up too far away from each other, they will be disqualified. This includes splitting up to "stay out of each other's way" or even to split up and scout the area. Sticking together is required. Whether you despise your partner or not, LAEF Heroes are bonded to each other, and look out for each other through thick and thin." Kasumi finished off.

A collective muffled groan echoed from the crowd, but it was to be expected. There was no doubt that plenty had the idea just to split up anyways, so it made sense that Uchu would prepare for all loopholes.

"With that, I believe our constant talking has come to an end." Kasumi hummed, looking to Shitae for confirmation.

Nodding beside him, she shaped her hand into a gigantic horn yet again. "So go out there and show us your move, kiddies! Break a leg, lose an arm, and learn to laugh about it!"

---

"I'm just saying, it was way too coincidental that we were talking about helping each other and BOOM, we were paired together!" Kaito chuckled, his fingers locked behind his neck as Mori shot him the occasional glance.

It wasn't what either of them had expected, but then again, there wasn't a soul in that auditorium who knew what the plan was going to be for the exam. After Shitae's encouraging send off, pairs were announced and assigned to a specific exam site. Plenty tried to determine if they were paired by how well, or awfully, they worked together, but there were also plenty of pairs that knew exactly why they were paired with their partner.

However, Kaito couldn't really make heads or tails of it. He felt as though he and this Mori kid were fairly neutral with each other. Sure, he was pretty full of himself, but that was on the lower side of things that can be grating about a person.

"Katsura-san, do you have a plan for when we encounter a villain?" Mori suddenly asked, kaleidoscopic eyes scanning every piece of the disturbingly barren streets they walked down.

Kaito stopped in surprise. The previously talkative boy had been rather quiet now. "No, not really. I honestly thought they would just have some really advanced robots or something, I wasn't expecting actual people, you know?"

"It's a mental game." Mori quickly shot back. "Sure, the difficulty is raised with actual LAEF Heroes, but putting us against living people will cause us to try and hold back."

'Well, he seems like he has it figured out, doesn't he?' Kaito let out a sigh. "That makes sense, though I think it's also because they don't want some killer robot to almost murder us or something."

"That's simple thinking then."

"Listen here, I won't deal with you acting like you're top of the line and I'm bottom shelf!" Kaito snapped. "If we're going to work together, then you've got to tone it down a little bit. I may not be the sharpest knife, but I can still cut it!"

A concoction of disgust and offense washed over Mori's face, his eyes narrowing towards his partner. Who did this fool think he was? A simpleton possessing an ordinary energy Quirk that could be found in countless individuals on the street talking to him as if he was anywhere near his level of importance? Katsura Kaito was a background character, whether he realized it or not. One way or another, he would make sure to show him such.

A toxic smile bubbled onto Mori's face. "Of course, Katsura-san. I was just going to try to explain things in a more simple manner as to not stress your brain too much."

Kaito scanned Mori's expression several times over. He saw now why they were placed together, this was going to be a test of mental endurance if things kept up like that.

"As I was saying, a plan for if we encounter a villain. Personally, I want to show my wondrous gifts as much as I possibly can, so I see no point in running away. Instead, you will be the one to draw attention. While you keep the attention, I will make sure to place every card in your favor. So long as you listen to what I say, we will both be accepted into Uchu with little difficulty."

'And here we go again. He doesn't let up, does he?' As much as he disliked being bossed around like some brainless soldier, at least one of them had some form of plan. Plus, he was grateful that Mori didn't think he was capable of fighting whoever they were against directly. The short boy looked as though he would snap in half if the wind blew too hard.

Wherever she was, Kaito hoped that Himohiku was with someone better than this small, passive-aggressive child in front of him. "Alright, Yoo-san. Don't worry about making bad calls, though! We are just beginning after all!"

"I never make mistakes in my final plans." Mori spat. This insolence would not be tolerated, if he had anything to say about it. Tension grew thick between the two as their locked eyes refused to waver. Mori lightly stroked the end of his braid, while Kaito clenched his fists slowly. "Did you know you have an odd number of freckles? Quite a strange and unsymmetrical thing to not even have an even number. " Mori suddenly said, earning complete bewilderment from Kaito.

The entire time they were staring off, he was actually...counting his freckles? Kaito had to give him credit, but unfortunately, counting them was a fruitless thing to do. There would most likely be more tomorrow, and the day after that, and on and on. "I can't say I did, Yoo-san. Thank you for that." Kaito sarcastically lulled as the two began walking again.

Silence had seemed to fill the entire exam site for too long, it put the pair on edge as they began to constantly check behind their backs.

Feelings of light taps and pats on their shoulders kept causing them to snap around and pause, only to feel another. There were no sounds of feet running away, but there was undoubtedly something stalking them.

Suddenly, the emulated metropolis they walked through felt like a concrete jungle, where they had just become prey.

As the pair turned around, their feet snagged, causing them to fall to the ground, earning rapturous laughter from all angles, but still, from an invisible mocker.

"Katsura-san, I'd suggest you be on guard." Mori muttered as he dragged his hand along the ground in a circle around them. Following it was a trail of thick white ink, forming a perfect ring around the two.

Scoffing, Kaito mockingly nodded. "Right, Yoo-san, I hadn't thought of that at all." Looking around, he cocked his head towards his partner. "What's with the circle of paint?"

"Whatever is preying on us is either moving too fast or is invisible. Either way, if they pass through the ring, they are going to mark themselves and give us a method of tracking them." Mori whispered, their backs pressed together as they watched for every movement, and listened for any shuffling of feet.

"What are we whispering about?" A hoarse voice suddenly appeared beside their ears, forcing them to jump out of the ring.

Laughter erupted again, this time from a visible target. Clapping slowly, they walked from the alleyway nearby. They looked...like the exact opposite of a villain. Dressed in what appeared to be a red pinstripe suit, the pink haired man wore a jovial smile. A curled handlebar moustache covered a strip of his face, but could barely hide the rosy cheeks.

He frankly reminded Kaito of a candy cane.

"That was quite entertaining to watch! The ink was a nice touch, although there was some flawed thinking behind it. After all," Without warning, the duo felt strong hands grip their heads. "You never accounted for more than one person, it seems."

Whipping around, a sudden explosion erupted from Kaito's hands, only to be attacking empty air.

"In fact, even if you had, I don't think you would have been truly prepared." The jovial man chuckled. "You're outnumbered in this match."

Mori scoffed. "Even if there are two of you, that still evens it out." The colour-shifting ink on his fingertips found itself congealing in an abysmal crimson shade as it awaited a canvas.

"Who said anything about two?" In the blink of an eye, where only one man had stood, three lookalikes had appeared.

LAEF Hero: Quartet!

Rank: 461

Quirk: Quadruplet!

Quartet slowly cracked his neck as his clones lined up beside him. "Well, children, I believe we have quite the performance ahead of us…

So show me what you have to offer the finest."

---

"For being his wife, those two sure were different." Suisei chimed, gently swaying as he walked through the roads. He was, of course, thinking back to Kasumi and Shitae. Then again, there have definitely been relationships with weirder pieces.

Beside him, his partner seemed to bounce a foot off the ground with every step. "Yo, Takamori-san, you're getting a little air there."

As the chipper boy began to ground himself, Hakuryu waved off Suisei. "This is nothing! You should see me when my friends and I play basketball!"

"I figure with a Quirk like yours, you'd be pretty good at that." Suisei smirked, imagining a scene of the white haired boy soaring across the court like a crappy slo-mo scene from a classic movie.

Stifling his chuckles, the boy shook his head. "I'm actually terrible at it. I always overshoot it, or I end up smacking my face clean into the backboard!" Scratching at his cheek, he gave an awkward laugh. "I actually broke my nose like that once."

"Hey! We can be glad it didn't mess up the structure of your pretty face then~" Suisei suddenly exclaimed, patting Hakuryu's cheek with a wide grin plastered on his face. "That is pretty hilarious though. Someone with a Quirk built for jumping being absolutely awful at a game meant for that~"

A blush immediately lit up Hakuryu's face. He was used to compliments from Genshi and Rasayoro, but he never received many...upfront compliments like this. There was that time that Genshi's dad said he was shaping up to be a great LAEF Hero and he felt validated for every endeavor he had suffered through, but that was different.

His mouth gaped for a few moments as he silently mouthed words that he didn't want to put sounds to yet. For a moment, he appeared as though his brain had short-circuited. "Th-thank you, Hoshiko-san! It means a lot!"

"No need to thank me for stating the obvious~" Suisei lulled. Casually flicking his finger upwards, small bits of asphalt and gravel began to gravitate around the top of his head. It wasn't much, but it brought him some meaningless enjoyment. "Hey, you want to try a little something before we get serious about this exam?!"

An audible gulp came from Hakuryu. That sentence...could mean a lot of things. But, he would give his trust this time. "Sure, Hoshiko-san, what's up?"

"Okay, okay, gimme a few seconds!" Suisei took a deep breath, his eyes slowly closing as he exhaled. Feeling his mind clear, he began to increase the power of his Quirk. His heels picked off the ground first, then his toes, and suddenly...he was floating in space. "Alright, step one done! Onto step two!"

Shifting in the suspended space, Suisei began to tilt himself downwards until he found himself completely upside down, his head floating a foot off the ground. "Okay, jump on my feet!"

"I'm sorry, you want me to do what?"

"My feet, jump and balance yourself on my feet! It's much easier than it looks, I've tried it with a few friends." Suisei reassured Hakuryu, who proceeded to reluctantly nod. Crouching, the baby blue eyed boy hopped up on the soles of his partner's bright hightops.

Steadying himself, a smile broke across the pale boy's face. "Okay, I did it! What...what are we doing exactly?"

"Gimme your hands! And yes, this was all an elaborate act to hold your hand~" Suisei joked, holding his hands towards Hakuryu, who clasped them immediately. "This is my personal rollercoaster!"

The two began to rotate in the space, spinning in different directions and angles as the speed gradually picked up. Admittedly, Hakuryu began to feel slightly queasy, but the feeling subsided. He always got a little sick at first when he began using his Quirk at higher speeds, so it was no surprise.

Both of the boys felt their hair come loose from the styles they had been in, their hair ties now rotating around them at blinding speed. A shout of excitement was forced from their throats as the speed began to decline again.

Laughter erupted from the two boys, even if they were the only ones around.

"So, Takamori-san, would you like to buy a photo of yourself on the ride?" Suisei spoke through the slowing chuckles.

Hakuryu shook his head as he slowly let go of Suisei's, removing himself from the boy's soles. "Can't say that I do, I think I would look like a mess."

"You'd never look like a mess~ You pull off the whole rugged look just fine~" Suisei chimed again, his eyes narrowing as he spotted the blush on Hakuryu's face.

As the excitement began to fall, the two boys began to actually take the concept of the exam seriously, jokes aside for the moment.

"So...Hoshiko-san...you said you wanted to become a LAEF Hero for your mom mainly…" Hakuryu wringed his hands as he wondered if he should continue with the conversation. Rasayoro always told him that he enjoyed learning the deepest parts of people first. "Is she really sick or is she…"

Suisei placed his hand on Hakuryu's shoulder, a smile barely pricking at the ends of his lips. "She's not sick. Or dead, for that matter. I just want to make the world safer for people like her!"

'But she's the one who needs it the most. She will forever be the one I protect above anyone else.'

"I've seen a lot of scummy people in this world, and I would never want to lose her! She's my only real family, ya know?!" Suisei let out a sigh of relief. "You have somebody like that, I'm sure! Tell me about em!"

Hakuryu laughed as he thought of the many ways he could describe what had become known as "The Kabukicho Trio."

"Well, I've mentioned them once or twice, but they really have been closer to me than any family member. There's Genshi, he's the one who I said dresses a lot like you! In some areas at least. He's...changed a lot from when we first met, but our friendship hasn't! In fact, it has only grown stronger! He's here trying to become a LAEF Hero too, and if there is anyone that can do it, it's him!"

Suisei hummed, making a mental note to look out for this "Genshi" person so they could avoid any clothing mishaps.

"And Rasayoro, what is there to say! I've seen her make people reevaluate their entire life with just a few words...she's amazing, and I would gladly consider her my sister any day of the year. Sure, she can be a little...rough and heavy on the "tough love" but I know she has my back. We all have each other to count on." Hakuryu beamed, genuine happiness present in his eyes.

Suisei had to admit that it really was endearing to see his love for them. He couldn't say that he had any friends like that, but, he didn't need friends like that. Not when he had her.

Lightly poking Hakuryu's nose, Suisei twirled in place for a moment. "You get really cute when you're excited."

Hakuryu attempted to respond…

But found no words as a deafening ring erupted in the area.

Blinking rapidly, sight began to return to the duo as the ringing persisted. Looking around, the obvious assailant was still present. Clad in leather holsters and what appeared to be old-timey western wear, a wide-brimmed cowboy hat hid the majority of their face save for a short salt and pepper goatee.

Grabbing hold of Suisei, Hakuryu quickly sprung into the air as his hearing came back. However, the echoing blast that sounded from below instantly alerted the spry boy to his mistake.

Within moments, searing pain shot through his left calf as warm blood began to soak through his white jeans. The pained yelp that escaped Hakuryu was enough for Suisei to quickly switch their positions. "It's not going to be an easy landing, Takamori-san, just brace yourself!"

They quickly began to slow down, but not enough as they slammed into the unforgiving concrete, earning another scream of pain from Hakuryu. "Alright, alright, let's see what happened!" Suisei gently placed Hakuryu on the ground, rolling him softly to get a view of his leg.

There were several holes of ripped denim, but the entire area was now visibly stained crimson.

"Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck! He just shot you IN THE ENTRANCE EXAM!" Suisei exclaimed, slightly panicking at the entire situation.

But his panic was ill-met. "Won't be the last time either." A thick drawl came from the entrance of the alleyway, followed by five, no, six gunshots. Suisei barely had time to catch the incoming bullets in his field of gravity, directing them back at their original owner while hoisting Suisei onto his back and making a run for it. There was nothing else to do, they had to make a plan, this wasn't something either of them expected would happen.

The shooter, however, did not care to follow for the moment. Instead, they let go of their gun, allowing it to float in the air as bullets seemingly loaded themselves into it. Grabbing a cigar from their vest pocket, they struck a match with their finger to light the cigar.

LAEF Hero: Kid!

Rank: 44

Quirk: True-Aim!

Letting out a large cloud of smoke, Kid nodded to himself.

"I love it when they run."

---

("I know exactly who you are. . .")

Lightly smacking his forehead, Kiji let out an audible gasp. "I know who you are! I know where I recognize you from!"

"You do?" Masanori began, an ounce of nervousness in his eyes as he looked at his shorter companion. "I mean! Of course you do, who hasn't heard of "The Darkest Victor!?" His horns grew jagged and scaly as they sought to further back his title.

However, this meant little to Kiji as he shook his head. Vexing rosy eyes locked with Masanori's sharp titian gaze. "You were that villain. . ."

The breath in Masanori grew cold, as if his blood had turned to ice in his veins.

". . . In that one play! Two years ago!" Kiji playfully walked his fingers up the length of Masanori's arm. The latter felt warmth course through his body again as he let out a relieved sigh. "I could never forget a performance like that. It was almost as if you were made for the role! Why I didn't remember you at first is beyond me, but all those horn tricks really brought it back!"

So another dweller from his realm of academia was attempting to enter Uchu? Perhaps with him as his side, they could enter together. He had already seen the exotic handler of abominations among the crowd, although he tended to make it easy to spot him. This boy in front of him though...only brought memories of panicked family members and unwanted worry.

But it seemed all three members of the Seichou Junior High were deep enough in their own realms that interaction had never directly occurred.

(Sneering at the red haired boy, Masanori sarcastically nodded. "Oh? You want to act like you know me? Go ahead, tell me who I'm supposed to be."

The venomous scowl on Hashimoto Akashi's face was enough to let Masanori know what was coming. "You're someone who can't have a bit of faith in his own family. You think he did what he did just because he wanted to?!" Despite being older than Masanori, he still stood a head shorter than the menacing boy. This didn't stop him. An inch closer he stepped, knuckles white as his clenched hands grew numb.

"Like your dad? It's pretty obvious that no one was pulling his strings." The sharp words came from Masanori before he could stop himself. The silence that followed caused eyes to dart between the four children. Jagged protrusions exited Masanori's knuckles as he waited for anything to happen.

Suddenly, trembling hands pulled on Akashi's sleeve. "He hasn't had as much time as us, Onii-san."

"That doesn't give him an excuse for abandoning his own blood like that." Akashi's words struck like daggers, as the air grew thick. The near-silent hum of electricity in the fluorescent lights above drowned out all forms of sound as glares remained locked in a timeless struggle.

Was he the same as them?

Or was he worse for not accepting everything he had done?

Masanori's eyes began to drift. The painfully bright white room contained only a single window. It made them almost feel as if they were the prisoners here. The heroes and their parents behind the two-way mirror thought they wouldn't know they were being watched, but such assumptions were wrong.

There were birds flying outside. He couldn't tell what kind. An eagle, perhaps? It didn't matter. It was free, wasn't it? He had been wishing for that freedom for months now. He wanted those wings. He wanted to be able to leave the shackles of the world behind even for just a moment, to escape the prying eyes of other kids at his school.

Akashi suddenly broke him from his fantasies. "Why don't you just go on and leave? It's obvious you don't care about him. You're just like everyone else. You hear one thing and think you know it all!" His anger boiled over at Masanori seemingly not even caring enough about the situation to focus. Grabbing hold of the cold metal bars of a chair, he tossed it at the wall to snap Masanori to him.

"Can't even give him the time of day, huh?" He continued, as tunnel vision began to set in. "You really are a disgrace to your own family."

A switch flipped in Masanori's mind. Every ounce of anger, confusion, and hatred he'd felt for so long finally exploded. And as his fist made contact with Akashi's face, blood pouring from the deep wounds on his cheeks, the older boy could see a strange hint of...acceptance in Masanori's eyes.

Because deep down…

He was right.

But that could be changed. He just had to get answers. Nakamura Asura would have to tell him the truth.)

"I must apologize for not previously recognizing you, Kiji-san!" Masanori exclaimed, placing a firm yet gentle hand on Kiji's shoulder. "As a sovereign soul, I tend to miss those who witness my greatness!"

The scoff that escaped Kiji was simultaneously born of backhanded offense and surprise at the utter ridiculousness of the act. "You did always have your little circle of friends crowding you, I'm surprised you knew where you were walking with them around~"

"They are my most trusted allies! I am glad that as a LAEF Hero I will be able to properly keep them safe without the silly repercussions society has set!" Masanori shook his fist in the air, a rueful glare cast into the open air. "But, with the winds of change blowing, we must part our ways…"

"Well, if you ever get sad about that, I can always be your new trusted ally~" Kiji chimed. "Maybe "The Darkest Victor" could make sure to keep me safe!"

This boy in front of him...was clearly a masterful fey at work. Demonstrating the obvious attempts at manipulation and charm, it would bring any mere normal being to their knees. But he was far different! It was pointless!

Quickly stepping back, Masanori pointed a clawed finger at Kiji's nose. "Cease your vexations, archfey! I shall not be tempted by your tricks and pleasantries! I shall aid and protect you purely under circumstance!"

Several decisions played in Kiji's mind as he looked between Masanori's face and finger, currently an inch from his nose. Slowly, he opened his mouth as if to yawn…

. . . and playfully bit down on the taller boy's finger.

"EW! What the heck, gross!" Masanori ripped his finger from the mouth of his pink haired partner, trails of spittle disconnecting from his digit and Kiji's lips. "Why is-why would you-Come on!" He frantically rubbed his finger across his sangria-hued distressed pants, removing all traces of saliva.

An infectious giggle erupted from Kiji. "What can I say, if a finger is placed in front of someone, their only option is to get sucking or get to eating~" Tapping his chin, he leaned close to the gothic boy. "Saaaay!~ What happened to "The Fiend Who Shall Take The Light?"

'Currently trying to get your spit off him.' Masanori mentally snapped back. "I was simply caught off guard! None have been so foolish as to disrespect me so blatantly!"

"Ara-ara, whatever will happen to me~ You don't suppose you could make an exception for little ol' me, do ya?~" Kiji pouted, his pleading eyes shining as the light hit them.

His brow suddenly furrowed as he looked to the ground. "Hey, your glitter pouch must have busted or something, it's getting everywhere."

"I would never bring along such silly trinkets such as glitter!" It was true even in his theatre days. He hated glitter. It got into every possible area possible and stayed there for lifetimes, and just when you thought it was completely gone, there was exponentially more to be found.

But as Masanori looked to the ground, Kiji was right. It looked as if a courier of glitter bomb messages had been horribly assaulted, with knee-high mounds of the shimmering particles stacked upwards from the ground. The road ahead of them as well was...blanketed. Black asphalt ceased to exist under the cover of the multicoloured pieces.

"Think someone had the hardest to clean birthday party on this street?" Kiji joked, an awkward chuckle escaping him.

All Masanori could do was slowly shake his head as the glimmering substance began to converge in front of them, packing together in dense form as a humanoid shape was revealed.

"He-llo to all of you party people!" The flamboyant man shouted as he was fully revealed, his sequin-covered crop-top shimmering against the light as multicoloured tassels whipped from his arms as he posed brilliantly, bathing in the glow of the sun. "Are we ready to have some fuuuu-uh-uun?!"

Kiji and Masanori were speechless for a moment, their jaws threatening to hit the floor.

"I'll take that as an absolutely!" The man exclaimed again, snapping his fingers towards the two as his arms morphed into fountains of glitter that sent the two flying upwards.

Yet as the glitter receded, they were left free-falling. Masanori glimpsed a massive smile on Kiji's face, but he remembered. He recalled some of the massive worries that happened at their school all over an injury.

Clenching his fists close to his chest, flesh and bone screamed to escape his back as the ground grew ever closer. Kiji let out a howl of enjoyment, but as speed picked up, an ounce of worry began to spread across his face.

(All he wanted...was to be free.)

Tearing through the fabric of his shirt, massive black wings speckled with white dusting found themselves cutting through the air within moments of their creation. Blood dripped from the feathers, but they were still capable of granting Masanori the gift he wished for.

Grabbing hold of Kiji at the last minute, Masanori caught a draft and soared only a few feet above the ground, his heart pounding like war drums as he thought about the possibility of Uchu having genuinely let them fall to their death in the entrance exam.

Gently setting the smaller boy on the ground, Kiji vibrated with excitement at the thrill of the entire situation. As Masanori stood up, the wings folded tightly against his back.

"Hmmmm~ That wasn't very fun for me~" The man stated, menacing clouds of sentient glitter escaping his body. "Oh well, plenty of opportunities to change that!"

LAEF Hero: Glam and Glitz!

Rank: 269

Quirk: Glittering Glimmer

"Nakamura-san, I'm going to need your help with something." Kiji suddenly said, his thrilled laughter coming to an end. "We're gonna have to get up close when he's physical, think you can do that?"

The harrowing bones jutting from his elbows seemed to grow serrated in anticipation. "Yeah…

. . . I can do that."

---

The speed at which Yakushimaru Samba managed to write into his pocket sized journal was terrifying, but what perplexed Yukawa Kogori far more...was the fact that she could not hear a single thought in his mind. Even the dumbest people alive had something going on in there, but this kid...nothing.

The tiara resting upon her head, perfectly in line with the crown of sapphire blue highlights within her golden blonde hair, gave off a slight burst of dust and rust particles. In place of the patch was now an area of shimmering golden segment along the thin band. It would still be a while before it was ready.

For the moment, however, she would be plagued with the hell of her Quirk. Her legs felt as if they had boulders tied to them as she fought every urge in her body to just stop. The scratching of Samba's pencil seemed amplified in her ears as the hot piercing pain of a migraine screamed out.

"Yakushimaru-san, could you please stop the note taking for the moment?" Kogori groaned, holding her head. She expected a mental retort of any kind, but instead, again, silence.

"Absolutely, Yukawa-san!" Samba chirped, quietly flipping the book shut and stuffing it back into his pocket. "So, how long does it normally take for your Quirk to reach its apex? Would you say it is worth it, or do you find most fights to be finished before that time has come?"

This guy...Kogori couldn't place it, but he seemed almost obsessed with the details of her Quirk. Perhaps an ease to her mind, however, was that it didn't seem to be just her. Judging by the ink-filled pages that spared barely any space that she had glimpsed, it seemed to just be a habit of his.

Realizing that there was not going to be much silence to ease her headache, Kogori did her best to comply. "The time varies depending on the intensity of the fight. I just like to have it activated beforehand when I can because it reduces the time overall."

Samba had to forcefully stop himself from grabbing at his notebook, he began to make mental notes.

"As for if it is worth it…" Kogori looked into the rusty knife in her hand, small patches of gleaming silver present to reflect her gaze back at her. "Absolutely. I don't need to rely on my Quirk, but when it comes into play, I am sure conflict will be far easier."

"Great to hear!" Samba nodded enthusiastically. "Making sure not to rely on your Quirk will be vital when facing a Villain with Quirk Negation!" Turning his purple eyes to the sky, he let out a rare sigh of relief. "This is the start of something great, you know? We're gonna be doing big things!"

Perking an eyebrow up, Kogori walked idly by Samba's side. "I still fail to understand why you are so excited for such a...cruel position in this world. Most tend to look at the duties of this job as something that "unfortunately must be done" instead of as a pleasant activity."

"That's because they are idiots." Samba suddenly spat, surprising Kogori. "Sorry! Wrong word! They are just uninformed or looking at it from the wrong perspective!"

That...wasn't him using the wrong word. The speed at which he retorted was comparable to a fanatic defending their ideals at the slightest sign of offense and judgement. Yet, still, no thoughts broke through.

Kogori decided to humour her partner. "Then please, tell me. What perspective do you look at it from?"

"LAEF Heroes are the ones administering the greater good here! Standard Heroes just postpone something unfortunate happening by locking up villains who are undoubtedly set in their ways, but we would be stopping that from ever happening!" Samba explained, clearly having gone through this before. "And, I mean, I have all the sympathy in the world for those who snapped from constant bad hands dealt by fate, but that doesn't justify attempting genocide, brutally torturing and abusing the people who wronged you, or waging a war against herokind or something!"

Kogori's eyes narrowed at how specific those examples were. However, as she moved to speak, the flood gates had seemingly been opened to Samba's endless spiel.

"Then you take into account the fact that there are more than enough Standard Heroes throughout the world but there are only about eight hundred LAEF Heroes, which means really we are in higher demand and more important right now than our predecessors." Samba gradually began to devolve into an unintelligible mumble that Kogori couldn't be bothered to strain her ears to decipher.

Holding her hand outwards, the ragged blue cape enveloping her weightlessly moved out of her way. How funny that was. Something that held her back so desperately, yet so easily avoided being a hindrance. "I understand, Yakushimaru-san. You've made your point."

The spirals in place of Samba's pupils almost seemed to spin while he processed what she said. "Sorry! I can tend to get a little carried away, huh?" An attentive glare sat on Kogori's face, deciphering his features, like a machine analyzing a newfound lifeform.

"It's fine. I know the appeal of passion-fueled ranting." Kogori nodded. "Now, if you are satisfied, I think we should find an opponent as soon as possible. Taking too long could reflect poorly on our capabilities. I would rather show those in charge that I'm prepared to face this merciless world with a far crueler demeanor."

Holding up both of his thumbs, Samba gave a massive grin accompanied by a wink. "Can do, Yukawa-san!" Continuing on their path down the apartment-lined streets, a faint tingling nagged at Samba's head. Kogori, on the other hand, began to delve into the inner machinations of her mind as her body began to move as if on its own.

'Fate and destiny. How often the two were confused, yet how closely their lines ran. Is destiny influenced by fate? Karma? Or is it the other way around, is fate predetermined by a destiny forever unchanging?

If the former, can one truly be blamed for negative actions when the world is destined to force those poor aspects of many out? If the latter, why should anyone attempt to strive for anything greater in an existence that has no potential?

That's right...it doesn't matter. No matter what the answer may be, the only thing I can do is find the challenge this existence may hold and show myself to be far less merciful.' As she took a deep breath, Kogori noticed her teammate had stopped in his tracks.

"Yakushimaru-san, are you okay?"

In a split moment, Samba's eyes almost seemed feline as his head snapped at an ungodly speed towards an opposing direction. His movement was a blur as he suddenly lunged for Kogori, his right hand cradling her close as his left held her tiara to her head.

Within the blur of movement, Kogori saw it.

A flash of light, and the crackle of electricity as their opponent glided through the air. The electricity caused the two examinees' hair to stand on end, and Kogori could distinctly make out why Samba had moved her.

Their attacker's kick was aimed directly where her head - and tiara - would have been.

'Not bad, I didn't think they'd pick me up at that speed.' The foreign thoughts began to enter Kogori's mind. She made a mental note to thank Samba for the grace that was his Quirk's sensory enhancement.

Kogori and Samba managed to stand up, but the moment of reprise was quickly called to an end as a lightning-fast roundhouse came for Kogori's tiara yet again. Yet again, however, Samba managed to intercept it, blocking the kick with his arm. The pain immediately struck Kogori's arm in the exact location her partner had been hit.

Disappearing yet again, their foe seemed to hold off for a moment. Just long enough for Samba to mutter a few words to Kogori.

"You said the world struggles to find a challenge for you, right? From the looks of it, this is the worst type of match-up for you. I'd suggest showing some of that devotion."

The sudden seriousness in his voice made Kogori's eyes widen in surprise for a moment. It came to an end quickly, as her royal blue eyes began to focus. Her mind maintained a calm as she attempted to hone in on her opponent. Samba wasn't going to get all of the credit for this.

The woman finally showed herself. A sleek cobalt bodysuit was fitted to her toned frame, bolts of electricity still crackling off of her. Her short raven black hair was gelled down to her fair skin, as her expressionless lips momentarily curled into a sneer.

LAEF Hero: Hypercharge!

Rank: 50

Quirk: Quickspark!

"If the problem you two are gonna give me is all because I'm going to slow for you, then don't worry! I can make sure to amp it up!" Hypercharge exclaimed, vaulting into the air by the nearby power lines. Ripping the thick wires apart, she quickly slammed the sparking wires directly to her sides, sending electricity coursing through her body.

The duo had little time to react as a rapid onslaught of strikes began to come from all directions. The speed Hypercharge was moving at...was almost as if she was teleporting. Kogori did her best to avoid the hits as each seemed to be aimed for the steadily growing tiara upon her head. Samba, on the other hand, took to doing his best to intercept what attacks he could.

The speed was too much for him. In a flurry of blows, Hypercharge began to infiltrate his guard. A roundhouse from either side, a side kick up front, a butterfly kick suddenly from behind, and finally finishing the chain, a knee directly to Samba's chin. He wasn't able to block in any manner as the strike immediately landed.

The slightest taste of iron began to touch his tongue. But no pain registered anywhere on his body. Instead, that honor was entirely Kogori's, who seemed unphased by it on the outside.

"Yakushimaru-san, I have a plan. I just need you to do exactly as I say."

Smirking to himself, Samba couldn't help but chuckle.

"That's what I do best."

---

The ground cried out in soft vibrations with every step Ishikawa Iwa took. He was often called a "walking boulder" by people at his school, and he had come to take pride in it. The massive shell of dull mineral and stone on his back begged for freedom from the oppressive grey tank-top he wore. The sneakers he had custom ordered were, thankfully, holding up against the weight of his hulking physique.

Contrary to the mountainous young man, his partner was far more...petite in stature. Akaguro Himohiku was slowly growing accustomed to the rumble of her companion's footsteps, albeit amazed at the fact that he was walking around so easily despite his massive size. He almost stood a foot over her, but it seemed like the difference between a bush and a tree.

"Ishikawa-san, your shoes are really interesting." Himohiku sheepishly chimed, fixing the heart-themed clip in her carmine hair, standing out against the crimson canvas like a rose-tinted light in an abyss.

Iwa's eyes lit up at the compliment, moving to bend over before stopping himself. He didn't want to embarrass himself by falling over. "They are from the "Deku Collection!" Pointing down, Himohiku began to see the resemblance to the top Pro Hero's signature sneakers.

The sales had gone up for shoes of that style and skyrocketed following his gradual rise to fame. "I had to get special support put in them though. I've had quite a few shoes worn out and ripping in days because they didn't have any." Scratching at his chiseled face, Iwa awkwardly chuckled.

"I can imagine. They must have cost quite a bit…" Himohiku nodded, looking down at her off brand shoes that she had worn for almost a year now. She didn't have many pairs of shoes, and she tended to try and make them last as long as possible.

Despite this, her shoes carried her wherever they needed to. She had made sure to dress for combat today, considering it was obvious that an exam for LAEF Heroes would undoubtedly be based around your ability to fight, and possibly apprehend, an enemy. To throw them against Uchu alumni, however, was unexpected. That was the sort of thing that kept her nervous beforehand.

Towering monstrosities of modern day construction loomed over them, refusing to bow to the harsh winds that whipped above their heads. It made sense to have them fight in areas that simulated high populations, considering most villains that LAEF Heroes faced targeted such dense areas. Himohiku's father taught her that density and overcrowding allowed for a small action to ignite a kindle into a wildfire.

It was also the very sort of place that Old Tokyo had been before being destroyed in the fight between Shigaraki Tomura and All For One… But Tokyo had since been rebuilt, and to anyone who didn't do much research, it was seemingly just a slightly upgraded version of the original.

But Himohiku had learned differently.

"Oi, Akaguro-san," Iwa hoarsely addressed, causing Himohiku to jump in shock. "You looked really serious. Were you...getting rock hard?"

A wave of relief washed over Himohiku. Suppressing the massive grin threatening to split her face, the young girl shook her head. "No, Ishikawa-san, I don't think I am quite there yet." In the distance, what sounded like pained cries being forcefully silenced reached their ears like a harrowing plea for help that had taken too long to crawl from the throat of a poor soul. "But it seems someone else could be."

"Yeah! Don't worry, it'll come to you soon enough! That feeling isn't like any other!" Stamping his feet into the ground, fleeting birds of asphalt soared into the sides of buildings nearby, the sound of shattering glass echoing through the street.

Giggling at the innocent display of raw strength, Himohiku nodded. "I'll see for myself." Blowing the fringe of hair creeping across her face, she let out a sigh.

"Should we go after whoever was fighting earlier? It would give us a chance to get the jump on them instead of us getting jumped on!" Iwa suggested. A memory of a bright moonlit night crossed his mind, dark eyes as cold as a grave looking down on him. Moving to trace the scar above his right eye, Iwa dispelled the past. "Plus, there aren't many who can stop me when I'm as hard as this!"

The thinking was simple, and was full of flaws, but it was also bold. Whether boldness and recklessness was welcomed at Uchu, it would give them an opportunity to show they have potential...even if they were mercilessly beat into the ground immediately.

Despite her worries though, as she looked at the excited boy in front of her, she couldn't help but feel that they had a chance.

"Let's give it a shot, Ishikawa-san!" Her triumphant nod was met with an exaggerated fist pump in the air.

For such a massive figure, and tremendous weight, Himohiku had to admit that he was faster than he expected, but he definitely wasn't going to be a marathon runner any time soon. Considering it was something he had grown up with, it made sense that he wasn't extremely slowed down by it.

While he preferred, or rather, was forced to be grounded, Himohiku kept a far more agile approach. Despite her small frame, she was surprisingly acrobatic, bouncing between alley walls and finding footing in the smallest footholds. Admittedly, the minor usage of her quirk allowed her to anchor herself into these locations as well. Microscopic crimson strands retracted into the thin cuts along her ankles.

Closing in on what seemed to be the location of the cries, they were greeted by the one who had been defeated, but not the assailant.

Lying face down, a blond's hair had been horribly singed, his tacky get-up having been scorched to a pulp, leaving his lacking torso exposed to the world. Blisters bubbled against his pallid skin, as ash settled into the harsh burn-sites. If not for his unconscious groaning and pained breathing, the two would have believed he had been dead.

His partner, on the other hand, was nowhere to be found.

"Poor guy was doomed to get disqualified from the start." A voice that grated their ears like gravel rang out as the two examinees jumped away from the body. Looking around in bewilderment, they caught sight of someone hanging upside down from a street light. "You were looking for me, right?!"

Flinging their body around the pole, they released a hand in order to wave, the other hand beginning to produce smoke as the metal quickly liquified. "It's nice to see ya, call me Hellfire!" Their singed clothing was particularly noticeable, embers still flying from the black material, and their pure red skin was eye-catching to say the least.

Hesitant to answer, Himohiku gained distance from the approaching Hellfire. Iwa kept his ground though. In fact, he began to run towards the possible enemy. Each step fractured the asphalt as Hellfire stopped approaching, curious to the display of tenacity.

Having built up enough speed to where momentum kept him running, the dense boy jumped in the air. Curling into a tight ball, Iwa landed with a thunderous THUD, now a jagged rolling ball of exposed stone protrusions. Rather than slowing down, much like a snowball down a mountainside, Iwa was gaining speed exponentially.

"Well, aren't you a brave one?" Hellfire muttered, his palms erupting with light as flames licked at his fingers. And just before the boy could make impact, he was caught in the jaws of a serpent.

LAEF Hero: Hellfire!
Rank: 130

Quirk: Purifying Purgatory

Constructed from solidified fire, Iwa could feel himself being cooked within the hold of his attacker. He couldn't see what was happening, but he could tell that he wasn't exactly safe.

"Ishikawa-san, stay like that!" Himohiku's voice called out to him from beyond the fiery jaws. Thick, crimson tendrils wrapped around him, yanking his rolled up form from the serpent like a jawbreaker from an annoying child.

Landing on the ground, Iwa unrolled himself to see his savior bleeding profusely from her arms. "Akaguro-san, are you okay?!"

"I'm fine! This is nothing!" What was left of the tendrils slowly snaked into her exposed flesh, but there was far less returning than what she had sent out. "Those flames burn my strings up immediately, though…"

Iwa's gaze lingered on the wounded girl, before returning to his opponent, who lovingly stroked the semi-sentient construct of flames. "That didn't hurt too bad, did it?!" He called out from across the distance. "She can get a little over-excited, especially with such big meals!"

Springing to life around him, bands of fiery demons crowded around the cherise-skinned man. Their shifting forms gave way to horrifying visages as the odor of brimstone and sulfur filled their noses. "I hope you don't mind, but I brought a few friends along! After all, I have to pull out all the stops for none other than Stain's daughter!" Cackling madly, Hellfire shot a mischievous glance at the slightly confused Iwa and the glaring daughter in question.

Himohiku's eyes narrowed as strings began erupting from her wounds, writhing like worms in anticipation for a target.

---

Name: Ishikawa Iwa

Quirk: Boulder

Boulder, much like its name suggests, grants Iwa an extremely hardened physique that toughens his bodily composition while also granting him a stone-like shell and plating across the posterior and lateral sides of his body.

However: These dense additions to his already dense physique makes Iwa extremely heavy, thus lowering his natural speed.

---

The air of the room was cold, yet comforting. Walls of screens towered in front of Jinzou as alerts went off with each student being unable to continue in the exam any further, their holographic visages disappearing from the emitter in the center of the control room. Through sealed doors, they could see Hiru - No, right now, he was Vita, the fourth top LAEF Hero - hard at work as he extracted the life force of blood bags and diffused it into injured examinees.

Every so often, a flash of vermillion light would alert them to Kasumi bringing another examinee into the infirmary room.

Suddenly, the cool air was released as the main doors of the sanctuary were opened, three newcomers entering in quietly. Turning on their heels, a warm smile fell upon Jinzou's face.

"Ryuuki-kun, Kazaru-kun, it's a pleasure to have you here with us!"

Jouten Kazaru was the first to lead the pack. The second top LAEF Hero, also known as Absolute. His feet refused to touch the ground as he ever so lightly drifted above, approaching Jinzou silently. His very presence had at first sent intense distress through Jinzou's body years ago. He was...much different now from that time though. He was in control, of himself and his capabilities. Despite that, when they looked at him, all Jinzou saw for a moment was the sickly pale skinned boy who sat on the edge of existence every moment of his life.

Narrowly avoiding the train of his little brother's teal hair, Jouten Ryuuki, otherwise known as Amaterasu, the third top LAEF Hero, closely followed after him. "And it's a pleasure to be here with you, Jinzou-san! I've been looking forward to today for a while now!" His very energy seemed to bolster the spirit and aura of the room as he began rushing past Kazaru to embrace his previous headmaster in a hug. The overcoat hung over his shoulders like a cape whipped behind him as he ran towards them.

The final member of the trio was one beloved by the public. With her off-white hair styled in a ponytail, allowing her large horn to be shown proudly, Jinzou beamed at the sight of none other than Eri, one of the first to start off as a Standard Hero and become certified as a LAEF Hero as well.

"And how could I forget Eri-chan?" Jinzou added, almost throwing Ryuuki aside to hug Eri, who had come to adore them after they personally oversaw her certification as a LAEF Hero. "You've been well, I hope? Kazaru-kun hasn't been giving you trouble, has he?"

Eri shook her head, smiling instinctively. "He's a sweetheart as always! The trouble in this family is Ryuuki!" Poking her tongue out at her brother-in-law, Jinzou nodded. They had known about the troubles Eri had gone through growing up. But seeing how she was able to interact with the Jouten Brothers, they couldn't help but feel proud of the woman for how she had grown and changed over time.

"Well, if you all would like, we can get to evaluations? I feel there's quite a few interesting ones this year." Jinzou softly clapped their hands together, to which Ryuuki and Kazaru nodded. Following them to the wall of monitors, Eri departed for the infirmary where she had helped Hiru for the past few years during the exam, making sure to aid him in the extreme task that was healing and fixing whatever injuries the examinees.

This was a day that involved heavy hands of fate, and those hands were personally dealt by none other than the three LAEF Heroes examining each screen individually for the fights for survival beginning to spark.

---

It was an interesting place to take an exam. Industrial setting, which was fairly common for these sorts of things. But facing off against Uchu Alumni?! The people who had been trained to kill already?! Was the headmaster trying to write them off?

Sighing to herself, Heiya held her bicoloured satchel tightly to her side. She could feel the several orb-like objects within, and began to wonder just how she would manage to get changed if a fight were to break out. Sure, her partner could protect her, but then that also could lead to her partner being a creep. But, given the pure-hearted boy she had been assigned with, that didn't seem likely.

"What do your parents do, Fuugawarina-chan?" Bokujou suddenly asked, ripping her from her thoughts. From above him, the buzzing swarm of flying reptiles, or Bee Wyverns as he called them, watched every moment like an amalgamation of scaly eyes. He said to just refer to them as 'The Hive', which was a relief to her admittedly considering she was sure she had a name for each and every one of them. "Oh? They say they love your outfit! It reminds them of the flowers they pollinate~"

Resisting the urge to ask how he understood what they said or meant, Heiya held a smile on her face, lightly scratching her cheek. "My father works as a history teacher, and my mom works as a manager at a convenience store. It's not like resurrecting extinct creatures or anything, but.." She began to trail off, but as she looked up, she was met with Bokujou's starstruck eyes.

"What's a convenience store?!" Bokujou's wonder-filled expression brought out a giggle from Heiya. Pushing her brown bangs behind her ear, she tried to find the words.

"It's just like a place that you go to buy essentials you need? It has food, snacks, drinks, trinkets, all sorts of stuff." Heiya rubbed the top of her head as Bokujou leapt in the air with joy.

Unleashing a loud woooooooooah, he turned back to Heiya. "That sounds amazing! I bet she meets a ton of different kinds of people! We always had everything we needed on the Reserve by growing it and stuff, but that sounds awesome! Where is the one she works at?!" He stopped in front of her, and as Heiya locked eyes with him, she realized she was truly talking to a person who was genuinely a child to the most mundane aspects of the world.

"I want to meet her and tell her you sent me and spend aaaaall day in there!"

Heiya's eyes widened. Just how sheltered had he been? Most people tried to get out of a convenience store as soon as possible after walking in. "I-I could tell you where it is after the exam is over, if you'd like. My mom would probably like you, too." She made a note of how her mother would probably talk to her father about a young man packed with muscles walking into her shop later that night.

"I would be honored to meet your mom! I'm sure she's as amazing as you!" Bokujou chirped happily.

This had to be an act, right? There was no person so clueless to the rest of the world, right? He seemed like a bishounen protagonist who won the hearts of everyone around him only to reveal himself as secretly being a terrible villain all along. Which could very well be true, considering the fact that he had the power to do so, and very few people were allowed on the Extinction Protection Reserve from what he said, meaning nobody could know what biological monstrosities they were constructing to take control of the world.

Furthermore, if he was a villain, who could really stop him? A boy who could make organisms out of genetic materials, able to toy with their very code like some sort of god?

Taking a mental step back, Heiya let out a quick breath of air. That was definitely one of the more outlandish theories she'd had that day.

"Ha-Haishisareta-san?" Heiya began. "Let me ask you...do you know what a mall is?"

Given the blank one eyed stare on Bokujou's face, she couldn't tell if she had just asked the dumbest question or not.

"What's a mall?"

'Oh my….that's adorable!' Clearing her throat, she put on a friendly smile. "You're too cute and innocent for your own good. Did you end up here not knowing what Uchu actually did too?"

"I knew from the beginning what kind of heroes Uchu produced." Bokujou's natural elation was absent in his voice, briefly caressing the massive dangling fang he wore as an earring in his left ear.

'What is with him...I can't pin it.' Heiya thought, as the boy continued walking. She couldn't think about it too much for the moment. Being distrustful of her partner would probably end...poorly.

Without warning, the Hive descended on them, buzzing around Bokujou like a swarm of worker bees protecting their queen. "Heiya, be on the lookout! They said that someone was approaching us!"

And they didn't even try to protect her, such hospitable creatures. Shaking her head, she quickly rummaged in her bag. 'I can't really know which to use until I see what they are like..'

Closing her bag up, she couldn't help but hope it was that absolute hottie Tsuihou Fu...that man put Deku to shame in her book, even if she did have an entire section of her wall dedicated to the number one Pro Hero.

"A fire burns the beast, but the beast retaliates with force unseen, enhanced by the licking flames." A voice as abrasive as gravel began to become clear as it approached from the corner of the intersection. "The hero fights valiantly, attempting to keep his sanity. His wife and child were murdered, his friends slaughtered and eaten before his eyes. How could he pull off such a feat?"

Were they reading a book? The plot of a manga? It didn't sound quite like either, instead, it sounded almost like a wise elder telling of a horrible past. However, Heiya couldn't help but think of a similar Shonen manga she'd read.

"He has apprehended the beast for the moment, but at what cost?" The voice finally found its owner in a dishevelled man crossing their path. Turning to them, his sunken eyes appeared primal. Golden irises lost in the black ocean that were his sclera. His skin was sickly and covered in scars, and his gray hair was matted and tangled. The damaged clothes he wore seemed to barely hang together, threads loose and torn. The small metal ball that floated around his figure suddenly began to stretch and morph.

Holding out his bleeding right arm, the man's scarred hand clasped the shaft that had formed. Finishing its formation, the metallic appearance of the formed weapon dissipated as it was revealed to the world.

A mangled scythe, the wooden shaft gnarled and knotted, twisting and bending until it reached the massive folded blade, which had been completed with a matte black finish that appeared chipped and worn.

"He knows the fight is futile in the end. After all, the beast will return…" The deathly man's arm began to bubble, the skin beginning to sound like leather as it pulsated and desperately attempted to escape his body, the flesh underneath giving out an audible squelching noise. Without warning, a visceral explosion of blood and gore gave way to a massive limb wrapped in fur and tangled hair now decorated by the previous arm's bodily components.

Exposed bones were suddenly embraced by tendrils of muscle and blanketed in similar mangy grey fur. The massive hand ending in harrowing claws gripped the growing scythe.

"...The beast will always return from within."

LAEF Hero: Thriller!

Rank: 34

Quirk: Adrenaline Abomination

"Nope! I'm not doing this!" Heiya suddenly shouted, bolting the opposite way at the sight of the horrible appendage.

Looking between his enemy and his partner, Bokujou gave out a cry of discontent. "Fuugawarina-chan! Wait!" Placing his fingers to his mouth, the boy gave out a piercing whistle that could be heard for miles before pointing to the monstrous man. Acknowledging the instruction, the Hive suddenly began to assault the man, letting loose concentrated bursts of flames and splitting away from the incoming swings of his scythe.

Giving chase to Heiya, Bokujou continued to call out for her. "Please, Fuugawarina-chan, we have to do something."

"We were given the option of fleeing from our opponent if we saw fit, and I think we should flee from that!" Heiya gestured in the direction of the ongoing fight. "He's fricking terrifying!"

Bokujou gave a sigh in response. "I understand your fear. But you want to be a Hero, right? Right now, the obstacle in your way is that guy. I know he may look terrifying, but you gotta overcome that fear in this moment! For yourself, for the people you want to protect!"

Heiya knew that he had to have stolen that from a shounen manga, because there was no way he came up with something like that on the spot. But...the words were true. As horrifying as that abomination of an arm was, she couldn't accomplish anything if she ran at the first sight of someone with the beginning of a terrifying transformation such as that.

"I need you to turn around and make sure nobody comes this way, Haishisareta-san." Heiya slowly started, setting her bag down as she took off the large shawl she wore.

A blush erupted on Bokujou's face as he realized what she was going to do. "Fu-Fu-Fuugawarina-chan, are you sure you don't want to go inside somewhere to do that sort of thing?!"

"We don't have any fudging time! I don't want your creatures hurt for too long because of my own fear!" Heiya responded. As Bokujou turned around with a crimson face, she began to change as quickly as possible. There was one outfit that she knew she would have to use first. It fit perfectly given the situation.

Having finally finished changing, she clipped the satchel shut with her clothes inside. Walking beside Bokujou, she placed a hand on his shoulder, prompting her to finally look at her.

Where there had been a girl wearing loose clothing that seemed reminiscent of a forest or meadow, now stood a confident, defiant knight dressed in the finest cloths. A grey overcoat reaching below her knees, hiding formal attire and a sheathed blade of impressive proportions. Instead of her usual brown hair, there now sat silver hair in place of it hiding under a brown bowler.

Giving him a thumbs up, she began to walk ahead. "Your knight has arrived, good sir. Let's vanquish this beast before further harm can be inflicted!" As she unsheathed the rapier, a flash of golden light seemed to embrace her. "Prepare to meet your end, foul creature!"

Catching up to her, Bokujou calmed down the butterflies in his stomach. She was…..SO COOL!

"Let's do this, Fuu- I mean, Knight-chan!" Slamming his fists together, the Hive regained their place behind Bokujou as Heiya dashed forward, blade in hand as she prepared to face the rampaging beast.

---

Watching those two sappy fucks gave Rasayoro such an intense wish to roast someone. There were so many things that she could've called out and absolutely destroyed them with.

Of course, then she got stuck with quite literally the most feral person she had ever seen before. The fact that she could confidently say this after seeing some of the people on the streets of Kabukicho was scary. An idle chuckle escaped her as she thought of some tourists that would come through and very quickly get in over their heads.

Yet even the occasional Yakuza member on every drug known to mankind had nothing on this girl beside her, who was currently combing through her hair while rubbing her face in it.

"Hey, watch the bandana!" Rasayoro snapped, causing Kurutta to playfully bare her teeth at the raven and emerald haired girl. "I hate having to retie it, I can never get it right again."

Almost as if she was directly spiting her, Kurutta yanked the bandana's knot, unravelling it and proceeding to bury her face inside. "Now Kurutta smells like Rasayoro! You smell nice and now Kurutta does too!" As she moved to adorn her bushy tail with the smell of her partner, the taller girl snatched it away.

"Don't rub your ass with this!" Rasayoro spat, looking at the bandana for a prolonged period of time before finally stuffing it into her pocket. "Couldn't just listen to the one thing I asked."

Kurutta let out a hushed chirp as she noticed Rasayoro's tone. "Kurutta is sorry...Rasayoro just smelled so good and I wanted to smell like her…"

She could choose to be pissed about it. She could choose to say some of the worst things that girl would ever hear. But, really, she didn't deserve it. Despite how she seemed, Rasayoro couldn't really tell any bad intentions from the wild girl.

"It's fine, Kurutta." Rasayoro groaned. "Don't get depressed because of a damn bandana, you won't be much help like that."

Immediately, the shorter girl's ears perked up. "Yes! Kurutta will be plenty of help! Kurutta can't wait to hunt down the villains!"

'Kurutta will kill the villains! No...no, these aren't real villains..Kurutta will almost kill fake villains really good!' Kurutta reassured herself, nodding excitedly as chitters escaped her. The collection of sounds that the girl made were enough to draw a confused glare from her partner.

Despite everything about her, Rasayoro had faith that she would be a good partner for this. She did have to admit that she hated the entire exam set up though. It was unique and gave them a sense of the future, she just wished she could have been working alone for it.

Rasayoro knew what the future of a LAEF Hero held. And even if she didn't seem like it, it appeared as if Kurutta did. Not the part about killing, which was more than obvious, but the cooperation.

The creator of LAEF Heroes had begun creating the concept following the destruction of Tartarus, when civilians began doing all they could to defend themselves and abandoning their dependency on standard Heroes. When it finally came out to the public, there was only one group of people that hated it more than civilians.

Heroes.

Whether it was because they didn't want to compete with more people for payment on jobs or because they thought it was a stain on what it meant to be a Hero, most of the generations before Deku and a portion of the newer heroes showed nothing but disdain for the LAEF Heroes.

Yet they still had to work with them nonetheless.

Really, the fact that parts of the public had begun to think of LAEF Heroes as Heroes that had more qualifications was just salt in the wound. Which bred further and further hatred on the side of the Heroes, and in turn made LAEF Heroes form a grudge against their predecessors in turn.

Rasayoro could think of the moment when a divide became clear among the communities.

The UA Joint Sports Festival fourteen years ago. The only one Uchu had ever been invited to, and the last they would ever be invited to. Uchu had managed to almost completely stomp out their UA competitors before the third round, despite any home-field advantages they claimed. It managed to both bring about outrage while also finally making the public see the strength and usefulness of LAEF Heroes.

Their absolute destruction of UA students was enough to get them banned from ever being invited back, but the damage was already done. Greater number of people had finally begun supporting Uchu. It brought a smile to Rasayoro's face when she would go back and rewatch the videos of Uchu students decimating their competition, with the crowd very clearly split on whether they should be cheering or booing.

It was easily the worst Joint Sports Festival for UA to date. Followed closely by the Second UA-Shiketsu Sports Festival, where there had been a number of underhanded methods used on either side.

Rasayoro hated how Uchu wouldn't have the luck of attending another festival, considering just how excited it made her thinking about making some snobby UA kids cry themselves off the stage without her having to lift a finger.

Suddenly, Kurutta's round ears twitched. Stopping in her tracks, the animalistic girl began sniffing the air. "Seafood! Kurutta smells seafood!" A small amount of saliva began to drip from one of her sharp canines as she seemed to stand frozen in the way of the newly acquired scent. "The stinky meanie is coming near us!"

"Seafood? What clammed up bi-" Rasayoro was cut off by an attacker that entered the picture far quicker than Kurutta had anticipated, a spring-loaded punch knocking Rasayoro clean off her feet and dislodging several teeth on the right side of her jaw. They fell to the ground beside her, forcing her to unknowingly lick at their empty spaces in her mouth.

"Oi! It's not nice to be talking crap about people when you can't even keep up with them!" The colourful intruder stated. Her psychedelic space buns on either side of her head coupled with the bulbous eye-stalks were nowhere near as eye-catching as the four additional limbs attached to her mostly bare, toned torso. Directly below her humanistic arms, a pair of limbs with spring-locked club-like endings lay in wait for their moment of impact again. The third pair of arms found themselves tightly strapped down and bound against the intruder's body, mostly hiding them from sight.

Rubbing her eyes for a moment, to both get the tears out of her eyes and make sure she was seeing the woman right, Rasayoro pointed to her. "You're Butterbee! You're so, so.."

"Awesome? I know. One of the b-"

"LAME! You're still stuck behind C.C. Striker because you're basic as hell!" Rasayoro broke out in laughter as the familiar surge of Roast Energy rushed in.

Butterbee prepared to deliver punishment to Rasayoro again, but was suddenly assaulted by a horrid flurry of slashes to her back. Kurutta's claws began to dig into the hardened exoskeleton plates leading to Butterbee's paddle-like tail, but hadn't made enough of a dent in time as another spring loaded punch knocked Kurutta into a nearby wall, forcing out a saddening whimper from her. However, this whimper quickly gave way to a manic grin across the girl's face.

"You hit Kurutta hard! REALLY HARD! Kurutta likes that! Kurutta and Rasayoro will take our turn now!" Kurutta practically barked, forcing Rasayoro to stand up as if it was an order. A mist of pastel green energy wisped from the taller girl's body as she cracked her knuckles.

A venomous smile split Rasayoro's face like a crater. "I can't wait to roast the shit out of you."

Butterbee examined the two for a moment. She had read the files on students that interested her. A lot of brawlers this year, that was for sure, but knowing how to fight with your body instead of your quirk was vital to know. If you relied entirely on your quirk, then you would be dead one day on the job because of it. These two were among the interesting ones, although she had wished she could've been facing the pair with Hatsuka girl.

"My, my, you two sure are riled up, huh?" Butterbee shook her head, sighing at the sight of the two girls. "You remind me of myself when I was young. The only difference being,"

With a blinding movement that neither examinee had anticipated, Kurutta was the first to experience a bone-breaking pair of punches from the LAEF Hero. As the feral girl soared backwards, dense fur rapidly growing across her bare body, Butterbee moved to attack Rasayoro.

Ducking to avoid the swing the green eyed girl threw, the binding across Butterbee's torso broke as spear-like arms revealed themselves. Embedding one into the ground, the boxer pivoted in masterful fashion as she swept Rasayoro off her feet. In a flurry of movement, Butterbee was suddenly above her, the click of her spring-loaded arm coming a moment too late for Rasayoro to properly react.

Despite channeling as much Roast Energy into her torso, it still wasn't enough to completely dull the pain of the punch, feeling like a car had just hit her as she was thrown into the asphalt below, the rocks breaking and jabbing into her back.

"I didn't suck nearly as much as you guys did!" Butterbee stated, pushing stray hairs out of her eyes as she landed on her feet.

LAEF Hero: Butterbee!

Rank: 18

Quirk: Mantis Shrimp

As Rasayoro struggled to move, she found herself suddenly grabbed by the back of her distressed grey jacket. Blood was slowly moving towards her left eye from a gash across her temple, but she could see who her savior was clearly.

Kurutta, who was noticeably more...furry. Holding her like a bunch of grapes from her teeth as she gained distance from Butterbee like a rabid animal evading a predator.

"Kurutta will get you to shafety! Rashayoro hash to be shmarter!" Kurutta managed to spit through her teeth.

Taking in a deep breath, and quickly noting the pain that shot through her lungs, Rasayoro nodded. "Yeah, but just you wait. We're gonna make that musty bitch eat her words."

---

It is often said that life is kept together by the existence of balances and opposing forces. In the presence of absolute darkness, a light must rise to shine. In the existence of never ending pain, pleasure arises in some form or manner(or already existed to the fortunate masochists and sadists). And in an area of introverts, an extroverted soul must rise to slice through the tensions.

Which is precisely why the very partnership of Kurofuko Rin and Tamashi Atem defied this rule of delicate balances. The very air around them seemed to grow visibly thicker as their awkward aura meshed into a festering mass. When Atem would move to speak, the moment felt wrong and he promptly turned forward again. Any time Rin would think of something to say, the sound of scuffling feet sent them on alert.

"So, meditation?" Rin finally spoke up. He immediately winced, it was the worst possible way to start up a conversation again. There was a reason he never did it. But there was some sort of twisted dance being made by placing them together. He could only imagine Kasumi laughing to himself at the situation, wherever he was. "How long have you been into that?" It….was not what he wanted to be talking about. He didn't want to be talking at all. But walking in complete silence was beginning to create whispers in the wind that unnerved him.

Atem's eyebrows raised. 'Oh, I thought we had both...agreed to just not talk.' He may not have been a conversationalist, and given that his partner wasn't, small talk just felt like nails on a chalkboard. At the same time though, getting to know a future classmate and letting them know about him was important. "It's just sort of something I've done all of my life? I started doing it a lot more recently though, with all the stress and stuff, ya know? No where is as quiet as here, though. Kabukicho is normally...much more disrupting."

"Kabukicho? You live in that place?" Rin was shocked. His family wasn't exactly well-off, but they weren't at the level where they had to move into the red light district. "I hear about all sorts of rats and scums there."

Atem chuckled for a moment. "Yeah, I once saw a rat there dragging an entire pizza behind it." He immediately noticed the shaking of Rin's head. "Right, right, not what you meant. But, that's true as well. There can be some really...scummy people there. The police have mostly abandoned it too, so it mainly just watches out for itself. Not to mention heroes…"

Rin nodded, noting the expression on his partner's face. "You may have to give me some advice when it comes to meditation some time. I tend to have trouble emptying my mind like everything says to do."

"Of course! Besides, I'm pretty sure our entire class will end up needing it with what we'll be put through!" Atem flashed a charming smile. "Hey, can you see out of that eye?" Pointing to the headband on top of Rin's forehead, a few moments passed where the shorter boy feared he had said something wrong.

But finally, the mahogany haired boy sighed. "Yes. But since I tend to keep it covered up, it can be a little disorienting for a moment when I unwrap it."

"I bet. Kind of like if you wore an eyepatch for a while and then took it off in the middle of a sunny day, right?"

"Exactly." Rin nodded. "But my vision is good enough without it, I can pick out the rats as soon as I reveal it."

Atem continued to take longer glances at the three-eyed boy. He...almost seemed like a villain undercover. He was well on his way to monologuing about world domination already. Still, the talking was better than the silence before. While it normally comforted him, the relative silence while the sounds of fighting could be heard in the distance instead bothered him.

Perhaps the winds had carried his thoughts and wishes to a listening ear, because he soon found his body racked with an assault from all directions as gravity and pressure seemed to weigh on him. His brain seemed to immediately beg for oxygen as he grew light-headed, and vomit erupted from his mouth without a moment's notice, rocketing some distance ahead of him and landing on the ground with a wet slap.

"Step right up, step right up! We have a spectacle waiting for any watchers as we get the show of a lifetime! Two young budding spirits with dreams of their future shall soon find them crushed!" The voice almost seemed to echo around them, distorted by an static overlay as if spoken through an intercom. Rapturous clapping and whistling pierced the ears of Rin and Atem, forcing them to clamp the sides of their head.

Waving an ornate cane around, the source of commotion revealed herself to be exactly what Rin anticipated. An eccentric carnival master was the first way he could describe her. Wild red hair that seemed to spark at the tips like fireworks, reaching her waist. Freckled olive skin, and strong facial features that were accentuated by the dotting jewelry and face paint on her skin. The nose ring in her left nostril seemed to glow every few seconds. She stood at a frighteningly tall height, her powerful frame seemingly honed over the years.

Rapping her cane on the ground yet again, it sent what felt like daggers into their head. "Yes, what a show this will be! For I, Soleil, will be the one to crush those dreams!" Claps rivalling the intensity of thunder broke out. Removing her adorned overcoat, a far sleeker, and combat ready, uniform was revealed underneath. Running the length of her cane across her nape, it began to loosen and elongate until it took the form of a sharpened metallic whip.

Attempting to be quicker to action, Rin ripped his headband off, attempting to cause at least a wound or some minor annoyance that could be amplified from the whip across her neck. However, as soon as the eye stopped wildly gazing across every detail it was exposed to, Rin was assaulted just as Atem had. Sharp ringing pierced his ears, causing the faintest trickling of blood from his eardrums, as his vision drastically blurred.

Clutching at his ears, then his eyes, and succumbing to attempting to shield his entire face in his hands, the assault began to lessen for a moment. "T-Tamashi-san, we can't stay here, we have to get away."

"Yeah, right there with you." Clutching his stomach as another round of pure stomach acid found itself ejected from his mouth, Atem attempted to scramble to his feet. Grabbing up Rin, they attempted to make a break into an unseen location. But that was a futile act, as the bladed whip snaked itself around Rin's ankle. Ripping the boy away from his partner, Rin muffled the pained groan that tried its best to escape him as the segmented blades began cutting into his muscle.

"Carnivals and circuses often have a history of violence against animals, but I can safely assure you all that our animals are treated with the greatest respect! The only violence here is against those of our own kind!" The sudden slam into asphalt was enough to daze Rin, but the following cacophonous roars of lions was even more debilitating.

Running for his partner, Atem slid underneath the incoming snap of Soleil's whip. There weren't many options available to them, but finding momentary cover was the most important factor at the moment. Taking a split second to look around, he locked eyes with the door to the nearest apartment building.

Partway supporting Rin's weight, while also dragging him along for the sake of speed, Atem all but burst through the door as he made a break for the upper floors. However, as he ducked away into a bathroom with Rin, the sound of their opponent could be clearly heard, booming from downstairs.

"Dear audience, it seems we are in for an extravagant experience! Our contestants have taken to a different approach from others by heading for a change in scenery! Give them a round of applause!" Bracing himself, and helping to cover Rin's ears, the thunderous clapping rang out…

...But it wasn't nearly as strong as it had been before. Nausea didn't immediately explode through their body, just disorienting them.

LAEF Hero: Soleil!

Rank: 150

Quirk: Carnival Madness

"Hey, Kurofuko-san, can you hear me?" Atem lightly patted his partner's cheek, who nodded.

Taking a moment to clean the steadily drying blood from his ears, Rin roughly sniffed - the smell of blood was present in his nostrils as well - and began to regain his senses. The ringing was wearing off. "Yeah, yeah, I can hear you. But we need to come up with something."

The sound of Soleil's footsteps could be heard now approaching the stairs.

"We need to come up with something fast."

---

"Those two were adorable, don't you think? Acchan loved watching Odoketa-sensei chew Iten-sensei out." Meika mused as she walked beside Utau. Skipping beside the pink-haired girl, the blonde held her hands out to the sky.

Utau, who had luckily managed to recover her decent smell with Meika's help, couldn't help but smile. The girl was...a breath of fresh air from the kind of people she typically dealt with. Despite how she seemed, she had actually been rather interesting. Not to mention, being partnered with someone who could care less about who she was gave her a feeling of relief.

She had dreaded being in a pair with someone who would be grabbing at her and begging for pictures the moment it was announced they would be partnered up. Pulling at her hair, treating her like a damn object.

"Odori-san?" Meika suddenly said, pulling Utau from her thoughts. "You had a really scary look on your face~"

Awkwardly chuckling, Utau waved her off. "Oh, sorry! I just was thinking of something else is all." Sighing as she placed her hands behind her head, the young idol looked to the short girl beside her. "You know, we've got some pretty similar looks, don't we?"

It was definitely true as they looked each other up and down. Meika with her monochrome frilled lolita dress, the red haired doll clinging tightly to her side like a child to its mother's leg, and Utau with her fruit-stained fuschia dress that had become sticky with juice.

The only difference was…

'You wanted to dress like that, didn't you?' Utau pondered. She didn't hold anything against Meika for that, of course. If she hadn't been forced to wear clothes like these from the moment she could walk, she might have enjoyed them as well. But now, any time she looked at them, she only saw the creeps who tried to touch her body underneath.

"Hijikata-san, you said your Quirk can use any sort of dolls or stuffed animals, right?" Utau suddenly blurted.

Tapping her chin, Meika nodded. "Yup! Although, I only have Akane with me right now. She's always by my side, after all."

"Then in that case!" Clearing her throat, Utau began to sing a beautiful lullaby. The sound alone...almost made Meika want to sleep. Her voice was so...perfect? She didn't miss or waver on a single note as she began to construct something in the air in front of them.

Erratic magenta particles jumbling into solid form like atoms clamoring to take shape, beginning to appear as a small stuffed...tiger, from what Meika could tell.

"Now Acchan can have a pet kitty~" Utau chimed as she ceremoniously held out the stuffed animal, the hearts in her eyes awaiting any form of reaction.

And as the smaller girl looked at it with wonder, Utau was caught in a hug before she knew what happened. "Thank you, Odori-san! It's amazing. Akane thinks so too, don't you, Acchan?"

Silence passed for a few moments before Meika laughed again. "Yeah, Akane says she'll name them "Stripes!"

Quietly laughing, Utau gave her a thumbs up. "I'm glad you enjoy it. I hope it'll especially be useful during the exam~"

"Odori-chan, earlier you said that you attract the worst kind of people." Meika began, holding Stripes close to her chest. "I was actually a little surprised. I mean, I figured idols would be adored and loved rather than hated…"

Placing a hand on Meika's shoulder, the forced smile on Utau's face seemed to be the dam holding back a flood of rage at her past. "Sometimes...adoration can be worse than being hated."

"I'm not one of those people, right? The "worst kind?" Meika followed up, looking up at Utau with light blue eyes.

The force behind the smile seemed to lift. "Hijikata-san...of course not. You will never be like them." Pulling Meika into a hug, Utau barely managed to contain the girl who had squirmed from the hold like an excitable worm. Already back to skipping, Utau couldn't help but laugh. 'She sure got over that fast, huh?'

"Odori-chan and I are friends, Acchan!~" Meika loudly said. "No, she's never going to replace you! You will always be my best friend~"

'Nobody will ever take you away from me, Akane. You're always going to be the one by my side~'

Stopping abruptly to stretch herself out before anyone bothered them, Utau couldn't help the familiar feeling she had grown all too used to. The feeling of being watched. Perhaps it was to be expected though. Other contestants, the cameras and occasional drones flying overhead. It was almost like they were contestants in some sick game show.

From what she had heard, Exam Site A had been much more industrial, possessing skyscrapers and executive buildings. Their site, however, was far more...Rural. Apartment housings stacked side by side like walls separating streets. At times, it felt like the silent buildings would begin to creep upon them, lurching upwards and caving down on the unsuspecting girls.

The modeled drapes in each window never shifted, but eyes of uncertainty seemed to stare down on every contestant from within.

"Odori-chan!~ Akane had a request!" Meika stopped, suddenly turning to Utau with a massive smile. "She was wondering if she could hear you sing some more? She loves the sound of your voice."

Utau harshly swallowed the lump in her throat. Was this just her asking for it and passing it off on the doll? No...No, Meika truly talked to Akane. And, it couldn't hurt to make sure her voice was prepared.

Clearing her throat again, she began a low harmonic melody, rising in crescendos as unstable flowers of assorted colours broke through the dreariness of the concrete and the soul-crushing silence of the streets. Picking up the tempo of the melody, Meika hopped around happily, dancing with Akane as she watched the little flowers continue appearing.

Forcing a giggle through her operatic performance, her song was cut short by Meika grabbing her by the hand. Spinning her around, for a moment, the two were no longer in such a dull place. Instead, the harmony and peace they felt was like the empty fields on rolling hills, wind dancing through their hair as they simply enjoyed the moment, despite what the expectations currently on them were.

Was this...a taste of the freedom so deeply wished for? No managers demanding her to hurry up, her mom not telling her that she shouldn't make friends with someone who wasn't just as famous as her.

As their twirling came to a stop, their duo found itself as a trio.

Arms wrapping around the two girls and a voice like velvet, the sangria-haired intruder wasted no time squealing.

"Kyaaaah!~ You two are so cute!" She exclaimed, pulling them close to her despite their struggles. "I didn't think I would find two adorable girls such as yourself here~ All I found was ugly boys!" Sticking her tongue out, the woman shook her head with a loud eeeeeewww!

Letting out a sharp note, a sudden pink wall shoved the mysterious woman away. "It's not exactly proper to hug someone without even knowing them, lady." Utau glared daggers at her as the wall disappeared.

"Yeah! Acchan was really scared that you'd hurt us!" Meika chimed, before noticing the woman's dress of choice. "And why are you barely wearing anything!?"

Taking a moment to respond, the tanned woman ran her tongue across her fingers, licking up what had to be...blood? "You two are so full of life, aren't you?~ I suppose that's to be expected, especially from the radiant "Sonet Pink." Giggling at Utau's obvious look of disgust, she gave a wag of her finger. "You don't expect me to reveal my secrets, do you?! I would never tell anyone how I keep such a luscious figure~ I just make sure it's on show when I have to!"

Before she could say another word, a swarm of what appeared to be pink hornets converged around her, threatening to fill every inch of her exposed skin with sting wounds. Their creator, slowing her rapid-paced song, changed to a dull tune that created a massive, yet deceptively light, hammer in her hands. "Hijikata-san, let's take the opportunity while we have it!"

Nodding, Meika rushed towards the woman, ducking to avoid a swipe of her clawed hands. Propping her hands on the ground, Meika put her force into her right leg as she moved to plant a kick in the older woman's chin.

Approaching rapidly, Utau bounced up on a sonokinetic springboard. Rearing the hammer back, she began to swing it towards the woman's head, as the swarm of pink hornets began to dissipate.

But neither attack reached its mark.

Instead, the woman's right hand was now clasped around Utau's throat, threatening to crush her windpipe, as Meika squirmed in the grasp of her left hand clamped around her ankle. The faint feeling they felt following the forced hug was much more apparent.

It felt as though their life was being sucked from their body.

LAEF Hero: Enchantress!

Rank: 83

Quirk: Arcane Succubus

"I've got to say, girls, I thought you'd give a little ol' gal like myself a better fight." Enchantress mused, tossing them like dolls after draining them of what she wanted. "So, I'll give you a second chance, considering I like you both~"

Holding her fingers close together, charges of electricity culminated in a ball above her hand. And as she snapped, the orb collapsed into repeated strikes of lightning on Utau and Meika's position, forcing them to scramble away.

Humming lightly, Enchantress skipped around happily, leaving a trail of gathering sparks with each step. "Come on out, girls! I don't want to hurt you~"

From their cover, the girls felt their bodies slowly recovering from the parasitic embrace. "Odori-chan, we need to get her into one of the buildings." Meika forced out, her throat hoarse and strained. "Making contact with her doesn't look like the best course of action."

"Yeah...but it looks like…

...that may be easier said than done."

---

"This is just great. I knew as soon as they said that crap about being in the worst pairs, I'd be stuck next to you." Niikura groaned as she scanned the streets alongside Genshi. "If it isn't too much hassle, how about you not bring up your bullshit about the rich and the poor? That's not exactly the most constructive at the moment."

Genshi took a moment to respond, drawing his sigh out as pain intensified behind his eyes. "Of course, Hatsuka-san. Whatever you say. As long as you don't bring up something unrelated about Quirks and power."

He was baiting her. He was seriously baiting her. Niikura had to resist the urge to take a swing at him, simply gritting her teeth until it felt like they would crack. "Absolutely, Joutai-san. I wouldn't dream of it." The two flashed venom-laced smiles at each other, the immeasurable tension between them growing denser.

Turning his gaze to the rest of the street, Genshi slowly piped up. "So, Hatsuka-san, it seems that in our wonderful meeting, I never asked. Why do you want to go to Uchu so badly?" Producing a small box of apple juice from his palm, he loudly began to slurp the drink down.

"Well, I cho-" He interrupted with a loud, satisfied sigh from finishing his drink, promptly deconstructing it. His eyebrows perked up as he gestured for her to continue, ignoring the twitch in her eyes. "I chose Uchu because my mentor-" The sly smirk that erupted on Genshi's face wasn't lost on her. "-went here. And because I'm not stupid. I can see that all villains aren't just gonna be happy sunshine and rainbows when confronted with, "the power of friendship". How about you, Joutai-san?"

As Genshi took in her answer and walked in silence, Niikura couldn't help but feel that he really was here because he just figured he could skate in. How typical. Bastards like him were the very thing wrong with Heroes, especially LAEF Heroes. They think they can just do whatever, WHENEVER, just because of the fact that they won the lottery that was Quirks. If that bastard had to live a day in her shoes in the business of being a Hero, he'd beg for his silv-

"My father went here. He can't be a LAEF Hero anymore, so I have to do this for him. Keep up the family legacy." Genshi suddenly said. "He's a barber now though, which is what he said he always wanted to be before he became a Hero!" The smile on his face...Niikura couldn't help but notice it was probably the first genuine smile she had seen from him…

Niikura nodded. "I...I see. Did he…?"

"Oh! No, he's still alive. He just had a really bad problem happen with a villain and now...it's just better if he lives a simpler lifestyle." Genshi solemnly stated, a dim light in his eyes. "You should've seen him when he was a LAEF Hero though! He was amazing! He always got back up, and it's almost like he never lost!"

An instinctive scoff erupted from Niikura. "Of course he was. Can't say that surprises me." Huffing, she turned to look away, disappointed that he had to bring it up like that.

"What?" Genshi noticed the change in her tone. "He had to fight tooth and nail to get where he was. My father sacrificed everything to help everyone he could, even when everyone said he wouldn't make it." Genshi spat, the light in his eyes now a hateful fire.

"People with Quirks like yours don't fight tooth and nail. They come from families that have got quite the history of power." Niikura retorted. "If you want to see a person fighting tooth and nail, you're looking at one. I have trained day and night for years with CC-sensei, from someone who couldn't even throw a fucking punch into someone who could drop you on your ass before you take your next breath."

She wasn't too upset with Genshi. She knew that he wouldn't actually know what it was like, and she would never know his lifestyle. Just...it would hit a nerve when people could brag about how perfect and great their family members were as Heroes. Especially with someone like Genshi who had such a Quirk...she could only imagine what his father was like for him to be thought so highly of.

"Why?"

Niikura furrowed his brows at the sudden question. "Huh? What do you mean, "Why"?"

"Why do you always assume that I didn't do a thing to train like you?" Genshi asked, his voice dull. "That I just popped out able to use my Quirk like second nature, able to take on Shigaraki for an afternoon exercise?"

Niikura let out a drawn-out sigh as she pinched the bridge of her nose. "That's not what I assume, Joutai-san. But you and I both know that between the two of us, I had to deal with way more in order to get here. CC-sensei knows that more than anyone, she got me to where I am…"

"CC-sensei? Like CC-Striker, the 11th ranked Pro Hero?" Genshi asked, realization dawning on him. "Boy, I wonder how you were able to swing her for your teacher." Rolling his eyes, a scoff erupted from the black haired boy.

"You know what, it is bullshit that you think I just throw money at someone in order to get them to do something. She chose to mentor me out of recognition of my potential! She couldn't give a damn about that money!" Niikura snapped, shoving Genshi into a nearby wall as a sneer spread across her face.

Their eyes locked. A war of mentalities was presented before them, neither able to see the ability to coexist as both thought of only their own ideals and survival. Finally, Genshi continued walking, ignoring Niikura's stare. "Then make sure to show some of that potential when the time comes. In the meantime, how about we stop talking? You're making my migraine worse."

Today was not a good day anymore.

"Go on and whine about your fucking headache, it's not going to kill you." Niikura growled.

Suddenly, something hit her senses. But it hit her far too late, or whatever it was must've been too fast. Before she could react, the pair found themselves each with a hand grasping their face.

"Jeez, could you two shut the fuck up?! You're making my ears bleed with your whiny bullshit." A voice as smooth as honey barked at them. Before either member of the duo could attempt to free themselves, they were spinning through the air and promptly slammed into the asphalt below them.

As Genshi attempted to stand up, the heel of a boot was smashed into the back of his head, further planting him to the ground. However, the boy's black hair began to glow as molten lava had begun secreting itself, burning away the attacker's boot.

"Think you can mess up my new kicks, you little shit?" The voice asked, grabbing Genshi by the scruff of his neck and raising him up. Genshi was face to face with none other than the 10th ranked LAEF Hero, Facade. Otherwise known as...Tsuihou Fu.

Genshi's cracked, bleeding lips formed a smirk. "No, actually. I just figured it'd be enough for the moment."

Without warning, Niikura struck Fu's spinal cord from behind. However, as Genshi was dropped, Niikura held in the need to groan in pain. Punching this man...was like punching something harder than diamonds.

And as she activated her Quirk, she was met with a horrifying sight.

Fu had absolutely no weak points on his body.

"That actually hurt a little. Good job. But "a little" will do nothing for you here." He slowly said. His next move happened in the blink of an eye, a punch that sent her through the wall of the buildings on the opposite side of the street. It very easily could have been a game-ender for her, but her cross-guard took the impact. "Well, ain't that impressive? How about you, pretty boy? How will your bones break when I hit you like that?"

Genshi slid out of the way of the axe kick that came his way, but the sweep that followed threw him into the air, and allowed Fu to punch him in the side, causing Genshi to feel as if his kidney was going to rupture as he was sent flying into a building.

Coughing hoarsely, the faintest droplets of blood splattered onto the concrete sidewalk below him. Wiping his mouth, Genshi stood up, but found that Fu wasn't there. Making her way beside him, Niikura stood ready to fight as Genshi's hands lit up with the colours of a thousand realities.

However, the swift kick that came from behind knocked both to their knees, followed by a hand crushing their throat as they were hoisted into the air. "You know, I think I remember looking over the files for you two. Big hopes for you, but neither of you are showing me anything to be hopeful of."

"Then maybe you aren't looking hard enough." Genshi snapped back. The ground beneath Fu suddenly began to sink, distracting him enough for Niikura to maneuver around the blue haired man's arm and capture Fu's neck between her legs.

Throwing her body backwards, she forced Fu's body to snap in an unnatural position. Jumping away from him gracefully, Genshi forced graphene shackles to erupt from the ground, anchoring Fu down as his body was further digested by the unsteady ground.

But like the visage of an unholy god, Fu broke the shackles with ease, stepping out of the sinking ground like a ball pit at a children's playroom. His back also snapped upwards, earning a grim, disgusted look from Niikura. If anything, Fu seemed to be more invigorated than even before.

"Well, wasn't that interesting?" Cracking his neck, Fu began to walk a distance away. "Then if you two are so intent on fighting, well…

… It looks like I have some new toys to play with."

LAEF Hero: Facade!
Rank: 10

Quirk: Negativity Absorption

It immediately became clear to Genshi and Niikura that this was no longer a fight to prove their ability…

This was a fight to survive.

---

"Jinzou-san, why are so many of them acting as if they knew about the students beforehand?" Ryuuki asked, golden motes of light flickering around him like small fireflies bursting in and out of life. Looking over the screens, he could see so many examinees actively engaged in battle, as well as some of the LAEF Heroes seemingly...seeking out specific ones?

A maddening smile split the metallic face of the Uchu headmaster. "Because they do, Ryuuki-kun. I allowed each of them to read up on files if they wished. Plenty of them selected who they wanted to assess personally."

"You don't think that will lead to poor match-ups?" Kazaru dully chimed. His focus was not so much on the examinees that were putting up a fight, but rather, the ones that were already defeated and being extracted by Kasumi. Eri and Hiru were already busy at work as they helped to heal the injured students. The two were...undoubtedly capable of astounding feats in terms of healing. It brought a smile to Kazaru's face seeing her so happy with something so mundane to her at this point.

"Match-ups don't exist in the real world, Kazaru-kun, you know that. It is simply whatever hand you get dealt at the moment. Besides, the "poor match-ups" help to better showcase their capabilities." Jinzou reminded their former student. "Plus, I am quite the capable headmaster if you remember. I made sure to turn down any personal assessments if I didn't think the examinees could handle themselves."

Turning their eyes back to the myriad of screens, Jinzou's face was overtaken with wonder. This was where humanity was at its most intuitive and resourceful. Fear, dedication, excitement, these were all the emotions they had grown all too used to seeing in examinees and students.

Drifting closer to his brother, Kazaru and Ryuuki began to idly discuss fights currently taking place that interested them. As each took turns pointing at screens and providing commentary much like sports commentators evaluated plays in games, Jinzou couldn't help but feel at peace.

This truly was the best day of each year for them. There was nothing in the world that they would give it up for.

---

His sweat clung to his skin like glue to paper. How long had he been soaked in it? He couldn't tell exactly. He hoarsely swallowed, but the thick saliva in his mouth did little to soothe his dry throat. His cracked lips threatened to bleed as he licked at them. A piercing shriek seemed to persist endlessly in the back of his mind, hopelessly begging for something to relieve him. To numb him.

Roughly tugging his hair out of his eyes, he did what he could to hide his face behind his raised collar, looking downward as he stumbled through the crowded alley he had become all too used to. The shining crimson lights at the end were the gates of heaven for him. Through there, he could get what he needed to drown it all out.

Stepping over a (presumably) sleeping man, he narrowly avoided the stumbling drunken individual coming towards him. Eighty steps remaining. He just had to make it eighty steps.

Soulless eyes as dark as the abyss, once full of life and hope, now darted from side to side with every passing glance upwards before returning to the ground below, looking for any ounce of danger or need for dispersal. His skin may have once been healthy and tanned, but it was now pale and dyed a sickly green tinge.

Fifty steps remaining. The familiar red lighting was now reflecting on his skin. His sweat and oil soaked brown hair gleamed as it seemed to settle into its pulled back position, molding into shape.

He couldn't take the slow pace anymore. His head snapped upwards as he broke into a mad sprint for the door, pushing aside anyone who was in the way as he approached the red light.

Twenty steps.

Ten steps.

Five steps.

As he finally was upon his haven, his foot snagged on someone who was unconscious on the ground. He was unable to stop himself from falling, his chest making impact with the concrete and knocking the wind from his lungs.

As his face sat close to the ground, he could smell the thick musk that often accompanied the alley. One part vomit, two parts alcohol. Was that how he smelled? No...no, he could only imagine that he currently smelled worse.

The door underneath the sanguine glow finally creaked open. Lifting his head, he found someone who he dreaded encountering.

"Fuck me, I knew you were in it rough, but this bad, Tsunageru?" Tamamono Ayamari sneered. "I was hoping you would look a little better for this, but I guess this is how it'll happen." As Ayamari left the doorway, Tsunageru could see inside.

His supplier was currently covered in his own blood, his nose seemingly beaten into his own skull, which had actually caved in itself. Two hulking giants of men were wiping their fists of blood, coming out after Ayamari. At the sight of them, everyone in the alley who wasn't already unconscious or completely secluded from reality in their current state broke into a mad sprint, hoping to get away as fast as possible.

Tsunageru wasn't so lucky. After all, he was the reason his supplier was (most likely) dead. And he was next, wasn't he?

One of the giants picked him up. A single arm was enough to keep his body completely restrained. A bag was roughly shoved over his head, and he could see the thick blood from the last wearer still inside.

"You know, I was hoping we could've been more civil, Tsunageru. I like being nice! I like being able to help people in need!" Ayamari said, with the sickly man finally being shoved down. Rough rope restrained his hands, digging into his frail arms. The hands of the brutes held him on either side, one on each shoulder.

The sack was removed. They weren't far from his supplier's home. It was a far more secluded alleyway though. One where things couldn't be heard.

"But you had to go and make me get rough with people all because you took my kindness for granted." Ayamari continued. He turned to Tsunageru, brandishing what appeared to be a tire iron. "You promised over and over and OVER that you would pay me back. And then - and maybe this is on me - You took more money from me! And I had trusted you again!"

"Ayamari, please, come on, I got the money coming, I do! I've been looking over the lottery, learning the patterns, and I've got quite a few jobs coming my way, and this horse I've been looking after is looking really great! I'm gonna have the money in no time! You don't have to do this!" Tsunageru stammered as fast as possible.

However, he was quickly silenced. "STOP LYING TO ME, TSUNAGERU! YOU HAVE TAKEN YOUR TIME OVER AND OVER AGAIN! IT'S DONE, YOU ARE DONE!" Ayamari yelled.

If only he had been connected to reality for the moment, he could've used his Quirk. He could've gotten away and lived another day. But not now. He couldn't manage it right now.

Or ever again.

Clenching his eyes, he prepared for the end.

But curiosity stabbed at him as to why his head wasn't currently paste. Opening his eyes once more, he saw Ayamari approaching. However, he was unaware of what was coming.

Massive floral jaws of a flytrap formed around him, and as Ayamari finally caught a glimpse of the teeth, it was too late. The sound of bones crushing and organs being mashed by the pressure was horrifying as Tsunageru and the two thugs were coated in visceral blood. Words escaped Tsunageru.

Before the brutes reacted, vines speared through their torsos, soaking up the nutrients of their blood as they quickly, yet painfully, passed away. Their bodies were moved along the length of the vines like products upon a conveyer belt, finally being pinned to the nearby wall of a building.

"Do you remember me?" His savior's voice rang, enticing and seductive. She briefly removed the floral mask hiding her face, forcing Tsunageru to take in her appearance as best he could.

He could faintly recall the memory through the haze of his mind. "You...used to give me food everyday? You said you always bought too much by accident, but...that was a lie, wasn't it? You bought food specifically for me, didn't you?"

"That's right. And now, I need a favor from you." Her voice seemed to echo, even if it was dampened by her steadily decaying mask of greenery, now replaced over her visage. "Come help me make reality better for people like us."

There was a flash of hope inside of his mind. In his spirit. Flames licked at his wrists, finally burning through the rope. Reaching his hands outwards, his savior clasped it, pulling him into an embrace.

"I'm sorry this had to happen to you. But we can solve these problems. We can cure the disease of society." She whispered in his ears as he softly began to cry into her ragged clothing.

In a split moment, every ounce of addiction, every ounce of need, pain, any negativity he had been attempting to drown out...disappeared. Was it something she'd done? Perhaps...she'd done something to save him from it all. But what?

The thought immediately died out in his mind, as if forced.

And as they separated from their embrace, Tsunageru looked upon his savior with eyes of adoration.

Like the eyes of a religious zealot finally glimpsing divinity they long sought after.

ED1- Shiawase no Shanana by BRADIO

---

Well, it's been a while again! A long, long while! A lot of stuff has come up for me and it was just thing after thing getting in the way! But that is why I wrote one of the longest chapters I have ever written for you all as a beg for redemption! Not to mention, this shall be the final chapter of that socialization that I know you all are getting tired of! What comes next is the juicy, bloody, action-packed exam! No more talking about feelings, let's get to beating the shit outta some kids!

By the way, I'm sorry if there's quite a few mistakes here and there! I've been working on this primarily in the dead of night and after exhausting days! I'm only one person, and 20k is a lot to look over again by yourself! I tried my best to catch almost everything though, so I hoped you enjoyed! Please review if you have the time and energy, it really means a lot to me.